CNN's Kaitlan Collins said on Thursday that President Donald Trump is angry that House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff is hiring officials who've served on the president's National Security Council to help conduct oversight, and has accused the congressman of "stealing" his staff.
"Essentially the White House is implying that right now Adam Schiff has either recently hired or is currently interviewing people who have worked in the Trump administration," Collins said, adding that the administration refused to answer questions and referred her to Schiff. "So we did and a committee aide got back to us with this statement."
That statement didn't get into specifics, noting only that the committee "hired people with prior experience on the National Security Council staff for oversight of the agency," and adding archly "we do not discriminate against potential hires on the basis of their prior work experience including the administration." Collins went on to say "it's not unusual" that NSC staff went on to work for the House Intelligence Committee, saying that Trump loyalist Devin Nunes (R-CA) had done the same during his tenure.
"But this does raise the concerns you've heard from the White House ever since Donald Trump first took office," she said. "There are people inside, these career staffers who work here despite whoever is the president that could potentially be going to work on Adam Schiff's committee that has now, as you noted yesterday, launched this huge investigation into the president."
At least one ex-NSC aide, Abigail Grace, has been identified according to Bloomberg Media's Jennifer Jacobs, who says sources tell her another is considering the move as well.
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